Chttte-cleabing device fob match machines



July 26, 1 9217.

1,636,876 0. E. SWARTZ CHUTE CLEARING DEVICE FOR MATCH MACHINES FiledApril 10. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 26,1927.

' O. E. SWARTZ CHUTE CLEARING DEVICE FOR MATCH MACIiINES Filed April 10.1924 2 Sheets-Sheet g Fatented July 26, 1927. I i

UNITED STATES ice.

ORLO n. swenrz, or wApswonT'rI', onto, ass snon so 'rnn c11 MATCHcoia'ranv,

or WA S BTH, OHIO, QBBQ T N OF cnu'rn cnnan nc DEVICE FOR MATCHMACHINES.

Application filed April 10,

At the punchout ends of match machines where the finished matches arepunched out of the splint-carrying plates, a chute is ar ranged forcatching the matches as they are punched out of the plates, and forconveying them to box filling machines. Ordinarily these chutes areprovided with inclined bottoms and are constantly vibrated, whereby,when the matches are punched out of the plates and fall into the chutes,they will, owing to the vibration and the inclination of the bottoms ofthe chutes, settle uniformly in the chutes and travel evenly anduniformly to the box filling machines.

It sometimes happens, however, that matches falling into the chutesbecome so disarranged therein as to cause stoppage of the travel of thematches down the chutes in spite of the inclined bottoms thereof and thevibration imparted thereto, and this stoppage, obviously, interfereswith the efficient operation of the machines and necessitates attentionof the machine operators almost constantly upon the chutes to see thatthe matches travel properly therein.

The object of my invention is to remedy this difficulty by providingmeans for positively insuring travel of the matches down the chutes, tothe end that the eflicient cont nuous operation of the match machinesmay not be impaired.

The invention consists in the combination with the match receiving chutearranged at the punch-out end of amatch machine, of a chute clearingdevice comprising a travelling conveyor provided with fingers extendinginto the chute and adapted by means of the travel of said conveyor tomaintain a constant and even clearing of the chute and uniformuninterrupted travel of the matches through the same, as I will proceednow to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 is an end view of that much ofa match machine necessary toillustrate the ap plication of my invention, with my device appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side .view of same looking at the left-hand side ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the chute andillustrating the arrangement of the con veyor with respect thereto. Fig.4 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the sprocket? eenveyorchains. Fig. 5

1924. Serial No. 705,600.

detailperspective view of one of the fingercarrying links of theconveyor.

The frame 1 of the match machine carries a table 2 upon which is mountedin suitable supports 3 'a trough or chute 4 arranged for a rapidlongitudinal vibration therein and connected for such vibration by meansof the ordinary shaker head (not shown) through gears 5 and 6 with anelectric motor 7 or other source of power.

Mounted upon suitable stands 8 carried by the table 2 is a guide member9lprovided with a pair of ways 10 (see particularly Figs. 2 and 3) inwhich travel the chains 11 of the conveyor. These chains carry upontheir adjacent sides, at suitable inter vals, upstanding feed fingers 12herein shown as formed integral with links of the chains, and thesefingers, extend through slots 14 in the bottom 15 of the chute l. The

conveyor chains are carried by sprockets 16 mounted at one side of themachine and fixed to a shaft 17 driven by means ofchain and sprocketgearing 18v, worm gearing 19 and chain-and sprocket gearing 20 from themain drive shaft 21 of the machine, and at the other side of the machinethe chains are carried by idler sprockets 22 mounted upon a shaft 23. Inthe particular arrangement shown, the idler flight of the chains isguided layrollers 24; carried in bearings 25 beneath th ta le 2.

As will be seen by reference particularly to Figs, the sprockets 16 areso set upon the shaft 17 that theirteeth break spaces, in other words,so that the chain of the conveyor farther from the observer when lookingat Figs. 1 and 4 has its fingers 12 slightly in advance of the fingers12 of the other conveyor chain. This particular setting is for thepurpose of compensating for the difference in diameter of the matches attheir head ends, and thereby accomplishes feed of the matches down thetrough or chute 4 in a position with their length substantially normalto their direction of travel. I have found that, in practice, if thefingers of one chain are arranged one-fourth of an inch in advance ofthe fingers of the other chain this result is satisfactorily attained.

The operation of the deviceis as follows Assuming that the match machineis running and that the motor 7 is imparting rapid r eip reeatoryvibration to the trough a, and that the puiieh out meshanismv shown;

1,636,876. PATENT OFF is punching the matches out the splint-carryingplates and causing them to fall into the trough or chute a, thevibration of the chute has a tendency to cause the matches to settletherein and arrange themselves in positions wherein their length issubstantially normal to the length of the trough. Oi course this is anideal condition, and it it were always possible to maintain such acondition, the matches would feed down the trough without difficulty orinterruption and the provision of any additional feed means would beunnecessary. However, in actual practice, as has been hereinbeforepointed out, the matches do not always fall into the trough in such away as to produce this condition, but do sometimes fall thereinto insuch positions as to tend to upset the ideal condition of their ultimatearrangement in the trough and, it not completely interrupting theirtravel down the chute, materially interfering with such. travel andcausing misalignment of the matches in the chute. ilty chute clearingdevice consisting of the conveyor chains and their fingers 12 correctsthis undesired condition and maintains a constant uninterrupted feed andtends to a uniform arrangement of the matches in the chute, for thereason that, during the operation of the machine, the chains of theconveyor being constantly driven from the main drive of the machine, thefingers 12 will be constantly running along through the slots 14 in thechute and will carry the matches along with them. At the same time,owing to the setting of the fingers as hereinbefore described, thematches will be maintained in proper alignment normal to the directionof their travel, notwithstanding the addeddiamet-er and bulk caused bytheir heads. Moreover, as will be seen particularly by reference toFigs. 3, 4 and 5 the fingers 12 are of such dimensions and conformationas to take up very little space in the trough and to be withdrawn fromthe matches slowly and smoothly so as not to disturb their arrangementin the trough.

Various changes may be made in the con struction and arrangement of theparts of the device without departing from the spirit of the inventionor the scope of the toll0wing claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a chute clearing device for match machines, thecombination with a chute arranged to receive matches from the .punchoutof the machine and provided with a slot ted bottom, of a pair oftravelling conveyor chains arranged beneath the chute bottom andprovided at intervals with chute clearing fingers extending into thechute through the slots in the bottom thereof, the fingers of one chainbeing arranged for travel in advance of the fingers of the other chain,for the purpose specified.

2. In a chute clearing device for match machines, the combination with achute arranged to receive matches from the punchout of the machine andhaving a slotted bottom, of a pair ol travelling conveyor chains havingfingers extending through the slots of the bottom of said chute forensuring the travel of the matches therethrongh, said chains being sorelatively spaced that the fingers of one chain-will engage said matchesadjacent to their heads and the fingers of the other chain will engagesaid matches adjacent totheir butts, the fingers engaging said matchesadjacent to their butts being arranged for travel in advance of thefingers engaging said matches adjacent to their heads, whereby thematches are conveyed througl'i said chute in uniform relativearrangement substantially normal to the length of the chute.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of April,A. D. 1924.

ORLO E. SVJARTZ.

